Coopers, English Bitter

[TRXnMe]

Did this kit as my first brew, it appeard to be cheap off eBay...

I didn't do the kit full justice to be fair to it, I used white sugar in place of brew enhancer or spray malt, I started the brew before reading much on here, blame lack of patience, probably a bad thing for a brewer

I syphoned it off into a keg the other day, SG was barely over 1.000 so it looks promising from a potential ABV point of view. There was a bit left in the FV after the syphoning so I gave pouring it into a glass a go, theory being not to waste it.... Anyway, I tried a quick sip from the glass and ended up drinking it

Not the best beer I ever drank, but a long way from the worst, nice bitter after taste, lingers nicely on the pallet, 3/4 of a pint made my head spin slightly. I'd been really worried the use of white sugar would ruin it, but it appears not to have, so yay :)

I'll report back when the brew has fully conditioned, apologies if the early report is out of order, but I'm quite excited about my 'first born' now it's well underway

 

[TRXnMe]

Well, the brew was kegged off and left for a week to 'mature', then my patiencec gave out...

It tastes good, not fantastic, but good enough to make a very nice session beer, except that I'm rat arsed after three pints It seems to be getting better as time passes, next time I brew one of these I'll follow the advice and makes sure that it gets a better secondary fermenation time and is then left for longer to mature.

But, if there are any other newbies out there looking for a kit that brews up quick, tastes good and gets you supping very cheap beer quickly then give this kit a go. I will be brewing a second before long, but I'll use spray malt not white sugar.

 

[bobsbeer]

I made this with spray malt beer enhancer and it turned into a nice session brew. Not too strong about 4%. I put it in a corny and left it for a few weeks. Nice kit for the price.

 

[MattPark]

I had this as my first ever brew, no experience but a give it a go attitude!
Having no local brew shops close by, I picked the kit up from Tesco for £12.96 with a kilo of regular white sugar £1.
Used the full kilo of sugar, filled up to 23litre and left on a warming plate for 2 weeks.
I didn't intend on leaving it that long but I was waiting for a part for my hand pump and keg and so it was kegged after 2 weeks with 85g of sugar and left for a further week.
Pulled through my hand pump I was very impressed.....smooth, and a half decent taste (I've had worse in pubs).
I used the formula in the instructions to estimate the strength and it came out rather strong at around 6.5%.
As I was pulling it through a hand pump from a keg it only lasted a few days before it started to go off (by which time it was mostly finished anyway).
So for £14 total and crude knowledge and skill I was very impressed and am researching now equipment (in other threads) ready for my next brew and hopefully maintain it better!

 

[TRXnMe]

It tastes better with brew enhancer, or a mix of DME and dextrose than it does with palin white sugar :)

Take a look at polypins for use with a beer engine, or get a pressure keg and S30 cylinder to keep the beer in. Based on my second go at this the flavour improves a lot with a few weeks in the keg to mature :)

 

[lovelldr]

Brewed this a couple of weeks ago. Did mine with 1kg of brew enhancer, but also adapted it a little. I steeped some Crystal male for half hour with 10g of holdings hops at start of steep, and then 20g of saaz hops with 10 mins left. Added this to everything else. Took at yesterday and this comes out about 4.7%. Rated it whilst bottling, and was quite impressed. Rated really good. Fermented got 2 weeks with a day cooler to dry and drop some yeast. Didn't really help, as bottles are quite cloudy. Hope drops well. Already bottles a day too and there's already quite a yeast formation in bottom of bottle. Hopefully good stuff for this brew tho

 

[mattrickl06]

Tried my first one of these last night after just 1 week in the warm to carbonate and a couple of hours outside.

Brewed with 500g light DME and 500g Medium DME, along with a 50g Fuggle hop tea and 20g dry Fuggles hops.

Its only around 4.2% but thought would be good as a session beer.

Well I must say the beer is excellent, it has a superb hop profile and a cracking floral aroma, there is absolutely no taste of homebrew and the carbonation and head is perfect. With a couple of months ageing i think it will be the best one so far.

This was the free kit that i got with my starter pack and as such have left it until my 9th brew until i decided to do it.

I feel the pull of the darkside but to be honest if i can make beer this good from kits then I am not sure :shock:

 

[Colsa]

ive got this in the cupboard, it will be my next brew, will throw in 1kg of brew enhancer and 500g of spray malt

 

[peelman]

I did this with a coopers brew enhancer 1. 3.9% ABV. Put it in a pressure barrel, nice pint.. All gone now mind. That barrel must have a leak in it... :whistle:

 

[Kinleycat]

Just chucked one of these in the FV with 1/2 dextrose and 1/2 medium spray malt.
Hopefully it will be a nice drop. Plan to do a full Spray malt version later on as a gift for my dads birthday.

 

[Kinleycat]

Good krausen and loads of co2.

 

[peelman]

Good krausen and loads of co2.

Kegging or bottling this one?

 

[Kinleycat]

Good krausen and loads of co2.

Kegging or bottling this one?

Going to try the king keg again with this one.

 

[peelman]

Yes this is the last brew I put in my pressure barrel. I think its a good beer for a barrel/king keg myself...
Nice one!
:

 

[Kinleycat]

Yes this is the last brew I put in my pressure barrel. I think its a good beer for a barrel/king keg myself...
Nice one!
:

Had my Coopers Stout in it last time out but had to medivac it out and into bottles due to a (assumed) leaking seal. Need to give it a thorough check first though.

 

[peelman]

Oh yes it would be a shame to spoil it.
Good luck with it.

 

[Scott]

I still have this kit from by birthday so plan to brew it once I have a FV spare. I also have a kilo of medium spray malt, some safale yeast and a corny which needs filling! Should turn out a decent beer to dish out at the BBQ's for the standard bitter drinker, as ill be pressuring with a nitrogen mix in the corny.

 

[peelman]

Nitrogen mix! I had enough trouble getting CO2....
Great with dark beers though I bet.

:drink:

 

[mickthetrick]

tried a pint of this last night that i had kegged for two weeks.
not bad at all. its clear and has a nice head. not too bitter.
will be a nice session beer :thumb:

 

[Kinleycat]

1040 down to 1010 in 10 days.
Nice and clear will keg it Saturday probably.